Safety
by puresteph
Summary: In the midst of war, Draco Malfoy finds himself somewhere he never thought he would be, he has no recollection of how he got to where he is, he must put his very reluctant trust into what destiny has in store for him.
1. Chapter 1

The long July twilight faded into night. The small village lay enveloped in darkness, the only source of light coming from the moon that shone through fleecy clouds. All was peaceful. Well...for now.

Draco Malfoy stood taking in his surroundings. This was it, the night he'd redeem himself to You-Know-Who, and he wouldn't fail. He _couldn't_ fail.

It had been almost two weeks since that night on the Astronomy Tower, and ever since Draco was aware of the suspicion that surrounded him like a black fog.

At first glance anyone would say that he looked the same: he had the same pointed features, passive expression, his lips even had the faintest hint of his signature smirk.

However if someone were to get a closer look at him they would notice that he had lost his familiar smug countenance, and he was thinner than anyone would deem normal. Dark shadows were etched under his eyes, contrasting with his pale complexion that had a sort of greyish tinge to it.

But his eyes held the cold gleam of the fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.

How many had he witnessed? Did it really matter? These were questions that he wouldn't allow to plague his mind, not at a time like this. So he pushed the unwanted thoughts into the back of his mind like he so often did - more so now than ever - and instead turned his focus back to the more pressing matter of the present.

Cautiously he moved himself and peered over the small row of bushes in front of him. The task was simple: get in, kill, get out.

But before he could move there was a flash and a spell whizzed over his head. He dropped immediately, wand clutched tightly in his hand ready to strike if it was needed.

The spell had come from behind him which was where his gaze now flew, but there was nothing to be seen; just the dim outline of fields that spread up into the dark horizon. His enemy was undercover.

Just then a group of men came across the bridge that stood on the opposite side of the street and advanced slowly up the deserted village. They stopped only a mere fifty yards ahead. Draco could hear their voices even though they spoke in hushed whispers. His heart beat faster. It was Order members, and now he understood the true nature of his mission.

He swallowed hard at a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He was to kill them or they would kill him. All thoughts of the mysterious spell caster had now vanished from his mind.

Then round the corner of a short narrow side street came an old woman, her head covered by a tattered shawl. She began to talk to one of them. She pointed in his direction. An informer. He was trapped.

Trying to stable his heavy breathing he stumbled back slightly, the mud squelching beneath his feet. What could he do now?

If he went back he'd be called a coward, worthless, and above all a disgrace to his family; and he was certain that You-Know-Who would not take this failed mission lightly like his failure to kill his old headmaster.

A snap echoed from behind him. He turned searching for the source, but there was nothing to be seen so he turned back to see the group slowly approaching wands raised in front of them. This was his moment. Fight or flight.

"Mr Malfoy. Come."

Draco would know that voice anywhere.

He hesitated for a moment, listening to the footsteps of the group grow louder. "I don't need your help," he called out determinedly, bracing his wand for an attack.

"There is no time for your foolish nonsense; you were sent here to die," he informed Draco dryly, his black cloak moving slightly by the late summer breeze. "And has it escaped your incredibly thick skull that I vowed to protect you?"

Draco moved to open his mouth but nothing managed to escape as he felt Snape grab his arm rather tightly. Then the world around him clouded over, and soon he was engulfed by darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

The burrow was quiet at this late hour, the laughter and hum of conversations that normally filled the air was no longer present.

Harry sat in the shadows of the living area. He couldn't sleep, his dreams were always full of faces, faces of the people he couldn't save: his parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, even faces of people he didn't know would creep into his dreams.

They'd beg him, plead with him to save them, and he would stand paralysed to the spot, whilst hooded figures surrounded him chuckling darkly, taunting him with how hopeless and pathetic he was.

At the centre straight in front Voldemort would always stand, a malevolent smile playing on his lips as he slowly raised his wand, his red eyes flashing with glee. The nightmare would end when a jet of green light flashed from Voldemort's wand, and where the spell landed, he never found out.

"You do realise you're sitting in the dark here mate?" Ron's voice sounded from behind him, bringing him out of his train of thoughts. He turned to see Ron standing with his wand lit in one hand. A mixture of concern and drowsiness on his friend's features.

"The thought never occurred," he replied half dazed, absentmindedly tapping his wand off of the arm of the chair he was seated in. Ron walked over and sat down next to him giving him a nudge on the shoulder as he did. "You ever think of just leaving?" He asked after a brief pause between them.

"What, leave Hermione?" His friend responded in disbelief, "we barely make it out the front door without her! We won't last a week...no, we won't even last a day!" Harry knew his friend's words were true and he hated that, but he was determined that if he could keep at least one of his friends safe I'd be her, besides Ron would be able to give some light when situations got dark. Hermione, as intelligent as she was, would be much better safe incase something happened to them, she'd be their back up plan. She always knew the answer to everything, and he admired that about her. "Just don't tell her I said that okay?" Ron pleaded.

"She'd be safe." The words were whispered and for a second Harry thought that maybe Ron hadn't heard him until he heard him mutter something under his breath, something he didn't quite catch, then he spoke aloud.

"She'd hate us." Ron replied bitterly shaking his head.

"She'd be angry, probably hex us, but she'd never hate us," he reasoned, "not for trying to keep her safe." ,

They sat for a moment just staring into the dimly light room around them.

"What do you think they'd do if they catch us?" Ron asked.

"That won't happen," Ron was about to butt in but Harry continued, " and if it did..."

"They'd want her, you're not the only one who's been wondering about her safety." He admitted before releasing a heavy sigh. "I just...I can't leave her knowing she'll be alone, I mean sure she can look after herself, she doesn't need anyone but I just can't bring myself to leave her."

"I talked to Lupin," harry explained, " they'd put her in a safe house."

"Blimey, how long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since you both agreed you'd help me." He admitted. He remembered the look on Lupin's face, he had even tried to convince him that the order handle it instead, but he couldn't allow that. Dumbledore had wanted Harry to do this task with only the aid of his two friends, and he was determined to complete it.

"We'll leave a note," Ron suggested, "I don't want mum worrying about us more than she needs to, then we can leave, you can write," he said accioing a pen and piece of parchment and handing it too him, "I'll pack... oh and grab some food too."

Harry sat the piece of parchment on the table next to the Weasley's clock, his eyes glancing at Ginny's picture before he moved away without hesitation.

"You're sure about this?" Harry asked, looking him dead in the eye. Harry was more than sure, after all if something happened to either him or Ron- or merlin forbid- them both, he knew Hermione was more than capable of completing the task Dumbledore had set him.

"You've got everything?" Harry asked getting up onto his feet glancing round one last time trying to soak everything in.

"Yes, you're sure this is what you want to do?"

"Unfortunately." And without another word, the both of them vanished into the night leaving only a few possession and a handwritten note.


	3. Chapter 3

When Draco Malfoy woke he blinked once, twice, then turned his head to the side. His eyes lingering on the oranges, reds and yellows that licked at the surrounding blackness-a fire. He closed his eyes again when a sharp pain banged off his head, he didn't dare open his eyes after that. He lay for some time just listening to the fire crackling around him, filing the air with its warmth. He listened intently as murmurs began to fill the air.

"What do you suggest we do with him?" He heard a woman's voice ask, he was sure he knew it, but his head hurt too much to think or process any form of thought to whom it belonged to.

"Potter and Weasley have left Miss Granger behind, I heard." Snape's voice drawled to the woman.

"That is of no importance to you."

The voices began to hum around him until it sounded like they were echoes swirling inside his skull. He tried with the greatest effort to hold onto the waking world, but it slipped from him and instead he found himself back in his nightmares.

Nightmares of red eyes and snakes, hooded figures firing spells, blood on his hands that never came off, no matter how hard he'd scrub his hands. A woman without a face, telling him he didn't have to live like this, reaching out her hand for him to grasp as flames surrounded them, heat and smoke filling his lungs, choking him as they engulfed his body ... then they stopped.

He pulled himself up, he didn't even need to question where he was, he knew instantly. Hogwarts.

"Mr Malfoy," came a stern voice from behind him, "how lovely for you to join us."

He turned his head towards the voice. There in front of him stood Professor McGonagall, her face completely passive to him. "Where's Snape?" He choked out, his throat hoarse.

"Severus is attending your funeral." There was a certain edge to her voice when she said it. It was quite sympathetic, maybe pitying, but whatever it was, Draco didn't like it one bit. The information took a while to process. His funeral. He could only imagine the grief of his mother, a figure dressed in black amongst people with black hearts, crying over her "son's" coffin while those others would only feel remorse for a few moments, then quickly move on and forget he ever existed. His parents would be no luckier. He shoved these thoughts into the back of his mind.

"My funeral?" He asked then chuckled under his breath, "well they'll be disappointed that I didn't make an appearance, I do hope I get a nice turn out."

"Mr Malfoy you realise-"

"That You-Know-Who wanted me dead, that he sent me that night in hopes that he'd be free from having to deal with me?" He replied rhetorically raising an eyebrow, "yes I understand that, but what I don't understand is why you'd help?"

"We, the Order or what's left of us anyway, have found a use for you." She explained "I am aware that before his death, Professor Dumbledore offered you a deal of protection." Draco shuffled uncomfortably in his sitting position at the mention of his old headmasters offer, there wasn't a day where he didn't contemplate whether he should've taken that offer. "I am going to make that very same deal," she paused and it was only then that he became aware of the others surrounding him, only a few he of which he recognised- Shacklebolt, Lupin, and Mad-Eye Moody, the rest he wasn't too certain about and were a simple blur in the background. "However this comes with the cost, as all deals do. You will have to serve for our side, supply us with every ounce of information you know about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, do this and you shall have all the protection we can muster."

"Why?"

"Because for some unknown reason, Albus Dumbledore saw you as a boy who made all the wrong choices, and with that said we cannot blame you for your actions." She explained. "Although, I must admit Mr Malfoy, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you without a wand."

"Very well." He detailed the few things he knew. Of how You-Know-Who is trying to raise an army, get revenge on Harry for what he has had to endure, and most importantly of how You-Know-Who was now fearing about something. Something that could possibly be the end of him.

"And this is all you know?" She asked once he was finished, "nothing else?"

"He-he said something about-about..."

"Yes?" McGonagall promoted him.

"About finding something, he said it's protection isn't strong enough to hid it."

"Harry Potter?" She asked raising an eyebrow, her eyes burning into his skull as if trying to search for the answer within his brain.

"No, for once Potter is not of his interest, it's an object."


End file.
